Valnet, owner of GameRant and Collider, agreed to pay $2 million to settle a class action lawsuit filed by former freelancer Daniel Quintiliano. Quintiliano accused the company of misclassifying content creators as independent contractors to avoid paying overtime, business expenses, and minimum wage across its websites.
The settlement covers writers, editors, and video creators who worked for Valnet between December 2019 and August 2026 and listed a California home address while classified as independent contractors. Valnet denied the charges but agreed to the settlement as a compromise of disputed claims, according to administrator Atticus. The company did not admit violations or concede merit of any claims.
The settlement received preliminary approval and will get final court sign-off in February before payments are distributed.
Valnet built its media portfolio starting in 2016 with the acquisition of Comic Book Resources. It later purchased Collider and Polygon, reportedly paying nearly $20 million for the latter. Polygon's staff was significantly reduced after the acquisition, with much of its output now coming from freelancers.